Industrial methods for producing arylsulfur pentafluorides

ABSTRACT

Industrial methods for producing arylsulfur pentafluorides are disclosed. Methods include reacting arylsulfur halotetrafluoride with hydrogen fluoride in the absence or presence of one or more additives selected from a group of fluoride salts, non-fluoride salts, and unsaturated organic compounds to form arylsulfur pentafluorides.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a 35 U.S.C. §371 national phase application ofPCT/JP2012/053905 (WO 2012/111839), filed on Feb. 14, 2012, entitled“Industrial Methods for Producing Arylsulfur Pentafluorides”, whichapplication claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/442,927, filed Feb. 15, 2011, each of which are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to industrial methods useful in the production ofarylsulfur pentafluorides.

BACKGROUND ART

Arylsulfur pentafluoride compounds are used to introduce one or moresulfur pentafluoride groups into various commercial organic molecules.In particular, arylsulfur pentafluorides are useful (as product orintermediate) in the development of liquid crystals (Eur. J. Org. Chem.2005, pp. 3095-3100) and as bioactive chemicals such as fungicides,herbicides, insecticides, paraciticides, anti-cancer drugs, enzymeinhibitors, antimalarial agent, and other like materials [see, forexample, J. Pestic. Sci., Vol. 32, pp. 255-259 (2007); Chimia Vol. 58,pp. 138-142 (2004); ChemBioChem 2009, 10, pp. 79-83; Tetrahedron Lett.Vol. 51 (2010), pp. 5137-5140; J. Med. Chem. 2011, Vol. 54, pp.3935-3949; J. Med. Chem. 2011, Vol. 54, pp. 5540-5561; WO 99/47139; WO2003/093228; WO 2006/108700 A1; US 2005/0197370; U.S. Pat. No. 7,381,841B2; US 2008/176865; U.S. Pat. No. 7,446,225 B2; WO 2010/138588 A2; WO2011/44184].

Arylsulfur pentafluorides have been synthesized using one of thefollowing synthetic methods: (1) fluorination of diaryl disulfies orarylsulfur trifluoride with AgF₂ [see J. Am. Chem. Soc., Vol. 82 (1962),pp. 3064-3072, and J. Fluorine Chem. Vol. 112 (2001), pp. 287-295]; (2)fluorination of bis(nitrophenyl) disulfides, nitrobenzenethiols, ornitrophenylsulfur trifluorides with molecular fluorine (F₂) [seeTetrahedron, Vol. 56 (2000), pp. 3399-3408; Eur. J. Org. Chem., Vol.2005, pp. 3095-3100; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,935]; (3) fluorination ofdiaryl disulfides or arenethiols with F₂, CF₃OF, or CF₂(OF)₂ in thepresence or absence of a fluoride source (see US Patent Publication No.2004/0249209 A1); (4) fluorination of diaryl disulfides with XeF₂ [seeJ. Fluorine Chem., Vol. 101 (2000), pp. 279-283]; (5) reaction of1,4-bis(acetoxy)-2-cyclohexene with SF₅Br followed by dehydrobrominationor hydrolysis and then aromatization reactions [see J. Fluorine Chem.,Vol. 125 (2004), pp. 549-552]; (6) reaction of4,5-dichloro-1-cyclohexene with SF₅Cl followed by dehydrochlorination[see Organic Letters, Vol. 6 (2004), pp. 2417-2419 and PCT WO2004/011422 A1]; and (7) reaction of SF₅Cl with acetylene, followed bybromination, dehydrobromination, and reduction with zinc, givingpentafluorosulfanylacetylene, which was then reacted with butadiene,followed by an aromatization reaction at very high temperature [see J.Org. Chem., Vol. 29 (1964), pp. 3567-3570].

Each of the above synthetic methods has one or more drawbacks making iteither impractical (time and/or yield), overly expensive, and/or overlydangerous to practice. For example, synthetic methods (1) and (4)provide low yields and require expensive reaction agents, e.g., AgF₂ andXeF₂. Methods (2) and (3) require the use of F₂, CF₃OF, or CF₂(OF)₂,each of which is a toxic, explosive, and/or corrosive gas, and productsproduced using these methods are at a relatively low yield. Note thathandling of these gasses is expensive from the standpoint of production,storage and use. In addition, synthetic methods that require the use ofF₂, CF₃OF, and/or CF₂(OF)₂ are limited to the production of deactivatedarylsulfur pentafluorides, such as nitrophenylsulfur pentafluorides, dueto their extreme reactivity, which leads to side-reactions such asfluorination of the aromatic rings when not deactivated. Methods (5) and(6) also require expensive reactants, e.g., SF₅Cl or SF₅Br, and havenarrow application because the starting cyclohexene derivatives havelimited availability. Finally, method (7) requires an expensivereactant, SF₅Cl, and this method includes numerous steps to reach thearylsulfur pentafluorides (timely and low yield).

As discussed above, conventional synthetic methodologies for theproduction of arylsulfur pentafluorides have proven difficult and are aconcern within the art.

Recently, useful methods have been developed for solving the problemsdiscussed above (see WO 2008/118787 A1; WO2010/014665 A1; US2010/0130790 A1; US 2011/0004022 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 7,592,491 B2; U.S.Pat. No. 7,820,864 B2; U.S. Pat. No. 7,851,646 B2). One of the key stepsdescribed in each of these methods is the reaction of an arylsulfurhalotetrafluoride with a fluoride source such as various fluoridescompounds including elements found in groups 1, 2, 13-17 and transitionelements of the Periodical Table. In particular, hydrogen fluoride is auseful fluoride source for the industrial process because of itsavailability and low cost, and in addition, its liquid nature having aboiling point 19° C. The liquid nature of hydrogen fluoride is suitablefor large scale industrial processes because of its transportability,fluidity, and recyclability compared to solids, such as the fluorides oftransition elements. However, methods using hydrogen fluoride still haveseveral drawbacks, including: (1) as hydrogen fluoride is severelytoxic, the amount of hydrogen fluoride used for a reaction must beminimized for safety and for the sake of the environment; (2) there isevolution of a large amount of a gaseous, toxic, corrosive hydrogenhalide such as HCl (bp of HCl, −85° C.) from the reaction of anarylsulfur halotetrafluoride and hydrogen fluoride; (3) in some cases, alow yield or less purity of the product is obtained, because byproductssuch as chlorinated arylsulfur pentafluorides are formed byside-reactions. These drawbacks cause significant cost problems in theindustrial production of arylsulfur pentafluorides.

The present invention is directed toward finding more suitable methodsto produce arylsulfur pentafluorides in an industrial scale andovercoming one or more of the problems discussed above.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method suitable for theindustrial production of arylsulfur pentafluoride, as represented byformula (I):

arylsulfur halotetrafluoride having a formula (II), shown below, isreacted with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (HF) to form arylsulfurpentafluoride (formula I): a molar ratio of the arylsulfurhalotetrafluoride to the anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (the arylsulfurhalotetrafluoride/the anhydrous hydrogen fluoride) is in the range ofabout 1/10 to about 1/150.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide methods for producingarylsulfur pentafluoride (formula I), in which arylsulfurhalotetrafluoride is reacted with hydrogen fluoride in the presence ofan additive to form arylsulfur pentafluoride. The additive is selectedfrom a group consisting of fluoride salts having a formula,M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n), non-fluoride salts having a formula, M⁺Y⁻, and organiccompounds having one or more unsaturated bonds (in a molecule).

These and various other features as well as advantages whichcharacterize embodiments of the invention will be apparent from areading of the following detailed description and a review of theappended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention provide industrially useful methodsfor producing arylsulfur pentafluorides, as represented by formula (I).Prepared arylsulfur pentafluorides can be used, for among other things,to introduce one or more sulfur pentafluoride (SF₅) groups into varioustarget organic compounds. As noted in the Background of the presentdisclosure, these target organic molecules, after introduction of theone or more sulfur pentafluoride groups, are useful as medicines,agrochemicals or liquid crystals. The methods of the invention providean industrial, cost-effective method for producing arylsulfurpentafluorides of high purity and in high yield. The target organiccompounds for purposes of the present disclosure typically include atleast one target substitution site for modification by an SF₅.

Embodiments of the invention include a method which comprises reactingan arylsulfur halotetrafluoride, represented by formula (II), withhydrogen fluoride to form the arylsulfur pentafluoride having a formula(I), in which a molar ratio of an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride/hydrogenfluoride is in the range of about 1/10 to about 1/150, preferably about1/15 to about 1/100, and furthermore, about 1/15 to about 1/50 (see forexample Scheme 1, Process I).

With regard to the compounds of formulas (I) and (II): substituents R¹,R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ each is independently a hydrogen atom; a halogen atomthat is a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, or an iodineatom; a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having from 1 to 18carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; a substituted orunsubstituted aryl group having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, preferablyfrom 6 to 15 carbon atoms; a nitro group; a cyano group; a substitutedor unsubstituted alkanesulfonyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms,preferably from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; a substituted or unsubstitutedarenesulfonyl group having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably from 6to 15 carbon atoms; a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group havingfrom 1 to 18 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; asubstituted or unsubstituted aryloxy group having from 6 to 30 carbonatoms, preferably from 6 to 15 carbon atoms; a substituted orunsubstituted acyloxy group having from 1 to 18 carbon atom, preferablyfrom 1 to 10 carbon atoms; a substituted or unsubstitutedalkanesulfonyloxy group having from 1 to 18 carbon atom, preferably from1 to 10 carbon atoms; a substituted or unsubstituted arenesulfonyloxygroup having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably from 6 to 15 carbonatoms; a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxycarbonyl group having 2 to18 carbon atoms, preferably from 2 to 10 carbon atoms; a substituted orunsubstituted aryloxycarbonyl group having 7 to 30 carbon atoms,preferably from 7 to 15 carbons; a substituted carbamoyl group having 2to 18 carbon atoms, preferably from 2 to 10 carbon atoms; a substitutedamino group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 10 carbonatoms; or a SF₅ group.

With regard to X, in a formula (II), X is a chlorine atom, a bromineatom, or an iodine atom.

The term “alkyl” as used herein is linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl.The alkyl part of alkanesulfonyl, alkoxy, alkanesulfonyloxy, oralkoxycarbonyl group as used herein is also linear, branched, or cyclicalkyl part.

The term “substituted alkyl” as used herein means an alkyl moiety havingone or more substituents such as a halogen atom, a substituted orunsubstituted aryl group, and any other group with or without aheteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), a nitrogen atom(s), and/or asulfur atom(s), which does not limit reactions of this invention.

The term “substituted aryl” as used herein means an aryl moiety havingone or more substituents such as a halogen atom, a substituted orunsubstituted alkyl group, and any other group with or without aheteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), a nitrogen atom(s), and/or asulfur atom(s), which does not limit reactions of this invention.

The term “substituted alkanesulfonyl” as used herein means analkanesulfonyl moiety having one or more substituents such as a halogenatom, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and any other groupwith or without a heteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), a nitrogenatom(s), and/or a sulfur atom(s), which does not limit reactions of thisinvention.

The term “substituted arenesulfonyl” as used herein means anarenesulfonyl moiety having one or more substituents such as a halogenatom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, and any other groupwith or without a heteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), a nitrogenatom(s), and/or a sulfur atom(s), which does not limit reactions of thisinvention.

The term “substituted alkoxy” as used herein means an alkoxy moietyhaving one or more substituents such as a halogen atom, a substituted orunsubstituted aryl group, and any other group with or without aheteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), a nitrogen atom(s), and/or asulfur atom(s), which does not limit reactions of this invention.

The term “substituted aryloxy” as used herein means an aryloxy moietyhaving one or more substituents such as a halogen atom, a substituted orunsubstituted alkyl group, and any other group with or without aheteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), a nitrogen atom(s), and/or asulfur atom(s), which does not limit reactions of this invention.

The term “substituted acyloxy” as used herein means an acyloxy moietyhaving one or more substituents such as a halogen atom, a substituted orunsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group,and any other group with or without a heteroatom(s) such as an oxygenatom(s), a nitrogen atom(s), and/or a sulfur atom(s), which does notlimit reactions of this invention.

The term “substituted alkanesulfonyloxy” as used herein means analkanesulfonyloxy moiety having one or more substituents such as ahalogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and any othergroup with or without a heteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), anitrogen atom(s), and/or a sulfur atom(s), which does not limitreactions of this invention.

The term “substituted arenesulfonyloxy” as used herein means anarenesulfonyloxy moiety having one or more substituents such as ahalogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, and any othergroup with or without a heteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), anitrogen atom(s), and/or a sulfur atom(s), which does not limitreactions of this invention.

The term “substituted alkoxycarbonyl” as used herein means analkoxycarbonyl moiety having one or more substituents such as a halogenatom, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and any other groupwith or without a heteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), a nitrogenatom(s), and/or a sulfur atom(s), which does not limit reactions of thisinvention.

The term “substituted aryloxycarbonyl” as used herein means anaryloxycarbonyl moiety having one or more substituents such as a halogenatom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, and any other groupwith or without a heteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), a nitrogenatom(s), and/or a sulfur atom(s), which does not limit reactions of thisinvention.

The term “substituted carbamoyl” as used herein means a carbamoyl moietyhaving one or more substituents such as a substituted or unsubstitutedalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and any othergroup with or without a heteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), anitrogen atom(s), and/or a sulfur atom(s), which does not limitreactions of this invention.

The term “substituted amino” as used herein means an amino moiety havingone or more substituents such as a substituted or unsubstituted acylgroup, a substituted or unsubstituted alkanesulfonyl group, asubstituted or unsubstituted arenesulfonyl group and any other groupwith or without a heteroatom(s) such as an oxygen atom(s), a nitrogenatom(s), and/or a sulfur atom(s), which does not limit reactions of thisinvention.

Among the substitutents, R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵, as described above, ahydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylgroup, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a nitro group, a cyanogroup, a substituted or unsubstituted alkanesulfonyl group, asubstituted or unsubstituted arenesulfonyl group, a substituted orunsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxygroup, a substituted or unsubstituted acyloxy group, and a substitutedor unsubstituted alkoxycarbonyl group are preferable. A hydrogen atom, ahalogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substitutedor unsubstituted aryl group, and a nitro group are more preferablebecause of their relative availability based on the starting materials.

Note that according to the nomenclature of Chemical Abstract Index Name,and in accordance with the present disclosure, for example, C₆H₅—SF₅ isnamed sulfur, pentafluorophenyl-; p-C₁-C₆H₄—SF₅ is named sulfur,(4-chlorophenyl)pentafluoro-; and p-CH₃—C₆H₄—SF₅ is named sulfur,pentafluoro(4-methylphenyl)-. C₆H₅—SF₄Cl is named sulfur,chlorotetrafluorophenyl-; p-CH₃—C₆H₄—SF₄Cl is named sulfur,chlorotetrafluoro(4-methylphenyl)-; and p-NO₂—C₆H₄—SF₄Cl is namedsulfur, chlorotetrafluoro(4-nitrophenyl)-.

Arylsulfur halotetrafluorides of formula (II) include isomers such astrans-isomers and cis-isomers as shown below; arylsulfurhalotetrafluoride is represented by ArSF₄X:

Process I (Scheme 1)

Embodiments of Process I include reacting arylsulfur halotetrafluoride,having a formula (II), with hydrogen fluoride to form an arylsulfurpentafluoride having a formula (I), in which a molar ratio of arylsulfurhalotetrafluoride/hydrogen fluoride is in the range of about 1/10 toabout 1/150, preferably about 1/15 to about 1/100, and more preferablyabout 1/15 to about 1/50. When the amount of hydrogen fluoride is lessthan 10 mol against 1 mol of an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride, theproduct's yield is relatively low. When the amount of hydrogen fluorideis more than 150 mol against 1 mol of an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride,it leads to low effectiveness in production cost.

In some embodiments of the present invention the hydrogen fluoride isanhydrous or hydrous hydrogen fluoride. One particular embodiment thatutilizes anhydrous hydrogen fluoride is shown in Process I. When hydroushydrogen fluoride is used herein, the content of water must beminimized, as water may produce arylsulfonyl fluoride or arylsulfonylchloride as byproducts, and hence the yields of the products aredecreased and the separation from the byproducts becomes an issue.

The substituent(s), R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵, of the products representedby the formula (I) may be different from the substituent(s), R¹, R², R³,R⁴, and R⁵, of the starting materials represented by the formula (II).Thus, embodiments of this invention include transformation of the R¹,R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ to different R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ which may takeplace during the reaction of the present invention or under the reactionconditions, as long as the —SF₄X moiety is transformed to a —SF₅ group.

Illustrative arylsulfur halotetrafluorides, as represented by formula(II), of the invention include, but are not limited to: phenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer (o-, m-, or p-isomer) offluorophenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer ofdifluorophenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer oftrifluorophenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer oftetrafluorophenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, pentafluorophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of chlorophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of dichlorophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of trichlorophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of bromophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of dibromophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of iodophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of chlorofluorophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of bromofluorophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of bromochlorophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of fluoroiodophenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of methylphenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of chloro(methyl)phenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of dimethylphenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of bromo(methyl)phenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of bromo(dimethyl)phenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of (trifluoromethyl)phenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylsulfurchlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of biphenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride,each isomer of (methanesulfonyl)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, eachisomer of (benzenesulfonyl)phenylsulfur chorotetrafluoride, each isomerof (trifluoromethoxy)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(trifluoroethoxy)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(tetrafluoroethoxy)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer ofphenoxyphenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer ofbromophenoxyphenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer ofnitrophenoxyphenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer ofnitrophenylsulfur chlorotetrafluorides, each isomer ofchloro(nitro)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer ofcyanophenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer ofacetoxyphenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(benzoyloxy)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(methanesulfonyloxy)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride,(trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, eachisomer of (benzenesulfonyloxy)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, eachisomer of (toluenesulfonyloxy)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, eachisomer of (methoxycarbonyl)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomerof (ethoxycarbonyl)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(phenoxycarbonyl)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(N,N-diphenylcarbamoyl)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(acetylamino)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(N-acetyl-N-benzylamino)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, each isomer of(pentafluorosulfanyl)phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride, and other likecompounds. Each of the above formula (II) compounds can be preparedaccording to reported methods (for example, see WO 2008/118787 A1,incorporated herein by reference for all purposes).

Arylsulfur halotetrafluorides (Formula II) used for the presentinventions can be obtained by the reported reactions described above.For example, arylsulfur chlorotetrafluorides (ArSF₄X; X═Cl) aretypically prepared by reaction of a diaryl disulfide (ArSSAr) orarylthiol (ArSH) with chlorine (Cl₂) and metal fluoride such aspotassium fluoride in acetonitrile solvent as shown below (Eq 1) (see WO2008/118787 A1).

After the reaction, the reaction mixture is filtered to remove solidmetal halide such as KCl and excess of solid KF, and the filtrate isconcentrated under reduced pressure to give a crude product, whichgenerally includes about 5˜80 weight % of acetonitrile. In order topurify, the crude product is distilled, preferably under reducedpressure, or the crude product is recrystallized from a suitable solventif the product is crystalline.

The distilled or crystallized products of arylsulfur halotetrafluorides(Formula II) are used for the reactions of the present inventions. Thecrude products arylsulfur halotetrafluorides (Formula II) mentionedabove are also usable for the reactions of the present inventions [seeExample 6 (ArSF₄Cl:CH₃CN=71:29 weight ratio), Example 8(ArSF₄Cl:CH₃CN=57:43 weight ratio), and Example 14 (ArSF₄Cl:CH₃CN=74:26weight ratio)]. Thus, the crude products usable for the presentinventions may be the materials obtained by the filtration process toremove the metal halide and an excess of metal fluoride followed by theconcentration process to remove the solvent before the finalpurification process such as distillation or crystallization. Using thecrude product leads to significant cost reduction since the purificationprocess, such as a distillation or crystallization, is eliminated.

From the viewpoint of cost and yield, embodiments of Process I arepreferably carried out without any other solvents. However, in the caseof no or low solubility of the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/or itsproduct, arylsulfur pentafluoride, in hydrogen fluoride, a solvent whichdissolves the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/or its product may beadded to increase the reaction rate and yield. The preferable solventswill not substantially react with the starting materials, the finalproducts, and/or the hydrogen fluoride. Suitable solvents include, butare not limited to, nitriles, ethers, nitro compounds, halocarbons,aromatics, hydrocarbons, and so on, and mixtures thereof. Illustrativenitriles are acetonitrile, propionitrile, benzonitrile, and other like.Illustrative ethers are diethyl ether, dipropyl ether, dibutyl ether,dioxane, glyme, diglyme, triglyme, and other like. Illustrative nitrocompounds are nitromethane, nitroethane, nitrobenzene, and so on.Illustrative halocarbons are dichloromethane, chloroform, carbontetrachloride, dichloroethane, trichloroethane, tetrachloroethane,trichlorotrifluoroethane, and other like. Illustrative aromatics arebenzene, chlorobenzene, toluene, benzotrifluoride, and other like.Illustrative hydrocarbons are linear, branched, or cyclic pentane,hexane, heptane, octane, nonane, decane, and other like. Among thesesolvents, acetonitrile is preferable because of the high yield of theproducts. The amount of the solvent used can be chosen so as to promotethe reaction or at least not interfere with the reaction of thearylsulfur halotetrafluoride and hydrogen fluoride.

In order to obtain a good yield of product in Process I, the reactiontemperature can be selected in the range of about −80° C. to about +250°C., and preferably about −60° C. to about +200° C. A suitabletemperature can be varied depending on the electron density of thebenzene ring of arylsulfur halotetrafluoride, which is caused by thesubstituents (R¹˜R⁵) on arylsulfur halotetrafluoride. The electrondensity is changed by the electron-donating or -withdrawing effect ofthe substituents (R¹˜R⁵). For example, an electron-donating groupincreases the electron density, while an electron-withdrawing groupdecreases the density. The reaction proceeds at relatively lowtemperature with the arylsulfur halotetrafluorides having high electrondensity on the benzene ring, while the reactions are smooth atrelatively high temperature with arylsulfur halotetrafluorides havinglow electron density on the benzene ring. Therefore, the reactiontemperature may be chosen in order that the desired reaction becompleted preferably within a week and more preferably within a fewdays.

Embodiments of the invention also include a method which comprisesreacting an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride having a formula (II), withhydrogen fluoride in the presence of a fluoride salt having a formula,M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n), to form the arylsulfur pentafluoride having a formula (I)(see Scheme 2, Process II).

For compounds of formulas (I) and (II), R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵ and X are thesame as defined above.

In addition, arylsulfur halotetrafluorides (Formula II) for Process IIare also the same as described above in Process I.

Regarding M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n), M is a cationic moiety and n is 0 or a mixednumber greater than 0. Preferable M is a metal atom, an ammonium moiety,or a phosphonium moiety. Preferable fluoride salts are exemplified, butare not limited to: alkali metal fluoride salts such as LiF, NaF, KF,RbF, CsF, and their hydrogen fluoride salts such as LiF(HF)_(n′),NaF(HF)_(n′), KF(HF)_(n′), RbF(HF)_(n′), CsF(HF)_(n′) in which n′ is amixed number greater than 0; alkali earth metal fluoride salts such asBeF₂, BeFCl, MgF₂, MgFCl, CaF₂, SrF₂, BaF₂; ammonium fluoride salts suchas ammonium fluoride, methylammonium fluoride, dimethylammoniumfluoride, trimethylammonium fluoride, tetramethylammonium fluoride,ethylammonium fluoride, diethylammonium fluoride, triethylammoniumfluoride, tetraethylammonium fluoride, tripropylammonium fluoride,tributylammonium fluoride, tetrabutylammonium fluoride,benzyldimethylammonium fluoride, pyridinium fluoride, methylpyridiniumfluoride, dimethylpyridinium fluoride, trimethylpyridinium fluoride, andother like materials, and their hydrogen fluoride salts such asNH₄F(HF)_(n′), CH₃NH₃F(HF)_(n′), (CH₃)₂NH₂F(HF)_(n′),(CH₃)₃NHF(HF)_(n′), (CH₃)₄NF(HF)_(n′), (C₂H₅)₃NHF(HF)_(n′),(C₂H₅)₄NF(HF)_(n′), (C₃H₇)₄NF(HF)_(n′), (C₄H₉)₄NF(HF)_(n′),pyridine.HF(HF)_(n′), and other like materials, in which n′ is a mixednumber greater than 0; phosphonium fluoride salts such astetramethylphosphonium fluoride, tetraethylphosphonium fluoride,tetrapropylphosphonum fluoride, tetrabutylphosphonium fluoride,tetraphenylphosphonium fluoride, and other like materials, and their(HF)_(n′) salts (n′ is a mixed number greater than 0). Mixed numberherein refers to whole numbers and any fraction of a whole number, e.g.,0.1, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.75, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.25, 1.3,1.5, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, and so on.

Among the examples of fluoride salts mentioned above, alkali metalfluoride salts and their hydrogen fluoride salts are preferable, andamong them, sodium fluoride and potassium fluoride and their (HF)_(n′)salts are more preferable due to cost performance.

As M⁺F⁻ can react with hydrogen fluoride, M⁺F⁻ actually exists asM⁺F⁻(HF)_(n′) (n′ is a mixed number greater than 0) in hydrogenfluoride.

As a hydrogen halide, such as hydrogen chloride, is much more acidicthan hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride can react with the fluoridesalt having a formula, M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n), according to the following reactionbelow, to form M⁺Cl⁻ which is a neutral salt.M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n)+HCl

M⁺Cl⁻+(n+1)HFThus, the fluoride salt can neutralize gaseous and very acidic hydrogenhalide, forming a neutral salt, M⁺X⁻.

Embodiments in accordance with Process II allow for the use of eitheranhydrous or hydrous hydrogen fluoride. In typical cases the hydrogenfluoride is anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. However, where some amount ofwater is present in the process reaction, it should be minimized, aswater may produce arylsulfonyl fluoride or arylsulfonyl chloridebyproducts. Minimizing the water content means that it is preferableless than about 5 wt % and more preferably less than about 3 wt % ofwater content in the hydrogen fluoride.

The amount of hydrogen fluoride used in Process II is typically selectedfrom the range of about 1/10 to about 1/150 of a molar ratio ofarylsulfur halotetrafluoride/hydrogen fluoride. A more preferable rangeis about 1/15 to about 1/100, and furthermore one is about 1/15 to about1/50. When the amount of hydrogen fluoride is less than 10 mol against 1mol of an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride, the product's yield isrelatively low. When the amount of hydrogen fluoride is more than 150mol against 1 mol of an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride, it leads to loweffectiveness in production cost.

The amount of a fluoride salt, M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n), as an additive used forreactions herein is typically selected in the range of about 0.1 toabout 5 mol, more preferably about 0.2 to about 3 mol, and furthermorepreferably about 0.5 to about 2 mol against 1 mol of an arylsulfurhalotetrafluoride. When the fluoride salt is less than 0.1 mol, theeffect of the additive is too small. When it is more than 5 mol, theeffect is limited.

From the viewpoint of cost and yields of the reactions, Process II istypically carried out without any other solvents. However, where thereis little or no solubility of the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/orits product, arylsulfur pentafluoride, in hydrogen fluoride, a solvent,which dissolves the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/or its product, maybe added to increase the reaction rate and yield. Suitable solvents forProcess II are the same as for Process I mentioned above.

The reaction temperature and time are the same as for Process I asmentioned above.

Embodiments of the invention also include a method which comprisesreacting an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride having a formula (II), withhydrogen fluoride in the presence of a non-fluoride salt having aformula, M⁺Y⁻[Y⁻ excludes F⁻(HF)_(n)], to form the arylsulfurpentafluoride having a formula (I) (see Scheme 3, Process III).

Hydrogen fluoride and its amount used in Process III is the same as forProcess II, as mentioned above.

For compounds represented by formulas (I) and (II), R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵,and X represent the same meaning as defined previously.

Arylsulfur halotetrafluorides (Formula II) for use in Process III is thesame as described in Process I.

Regarding M⁺Y⁻, M represents the same meaning as defined above, and Y isan anionic moiety [except for F⁻(HF)_(n)] whose conjugated acid HY isless than HX in acidity (for example, HCl).Y⁻+H⁺⇄HY

-   -   Y⁻; a conjugated base    -   HY; a conjugated acid

Typical M are the same as those described for Process II. Typical Y areexemplified, but not limited to, sulfates such as OSO₃Na, OSO₃K, OSO₃Li,OSO₃NH₄, OSO₃Mg_(1/2), OSO₃Ca_(1/2), and other like materials;benzenesulfonate (C₆H₅SO₃), methylbenzenesulfonate,dimethylbenzenesulfonate, trimethylbenzenesulfonate,bromobenzenesulfonate, chlorobenzenesulfonate, nitrobenzenesulfonate,vinylbenzenesulfonate, methanesulfonate, ethanesulfonate, and other likecompounds; carbonates such as OCO₂H, OCO₂Na, OCO₂K, OCO₂Li, OCO₂NH₄ andother like materials; carboxylates such as formate (HCOO), acetate(CH₃COO), propionate (C₂H₅COO), butanoate (C₃H₇COO), benzoate (C₆H₅COO),methylbenzoate (CH₃C₆H₄COO), dimethylbenzoate, trimethylbenzoate,(methoxy)benzoate, nitrobenzoate, bromobenzoate, chlorobenzoate,cinnamate (C₆H₅CH═CHCOO), acrylate (CH₂═CHCOO), 1-methylacrylate,2-methylacrylate, 1-phenylacrylate, and other like materials.

Typical M⁺Y⁻ are exemplified, but not limited to, NaOSO₃Na (Na₂SO₄),KOSO₃K (K₂SO₄), LiOSO₃Li (Li₂SO₄), NH₄OSO₃NH₄ [(NH₄)₂SO₄], MgSO₄, CaSO₄,C₆H₅SO₃Na, C₆H₅SO₃K, C₆H₅SO₃NH₄, C₆H₅SO₃HNEt₃, sodiummethylbenzenesulfonate, potassium methylbenzenesulfonate, potassiumdimethylbenzenesulfonate, potassium trimethylbenzenesulfonate, potassiumchlorobenzenesulfonate, potassium nitrobenzenesulfonate, potassiumvinylbenzenesulfonate, potassium methanesulfonate, potassiumethanesulfonate, lithium carbonate, lithium bicarbonate, sodiumcarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassiumbicarbonate, lithium formate, sodium formate, potassium formate, lithiumacetate, sodium acetate, potassium acetate, lithium benzoate, sodiumbenzoate, potassium benzoate, sodium methylbenzoate, potassiummethylbenzoate, potassium dimethylbenzoate, potassium trimethylbenzoate,potassium (methoxy)benzoate, potassium nitrobenzoate, potassiumbromobenzoate, potassium chlorobenzoate, potassium cinnamate, potassiumpropenoate (acrylate), potassium 2-methylpropenoate, potassium2-butenoate, and other like materials.

When halogenated arylsulfur pentafluorides are formed as byproducts inthe reactions of arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and hydrogen fluoride,M⁺Y⁻ is typically used, in which the anionic moiety having at least oneunsaturated bond in a moiety is selected among Y mentioned above, suchas benzenesulfonate (C₆H₅SO₃), methylbenzenesulfonate,dimethylbenzenesulfonate, trimethylbenzenesulfonate,bromobenzenesulfonate, chlorobenzenesulfonate, nitrobenzenesulfonate,vinylbenzenesulfonate, benzoate (C₆H₅COO), methylbenzoate (CH₃C₆H₄COO),dimethylbenzoate, trimethylbenzoate, (methoxy)benzoate, bromobenzenoate,chlorobenzoate, nitrobenzoate, cinnamate (C₆H₅CH═CHCOO), propenoate(CH₂═CHCOO), 2-methylpropenoate, 2-butenoate, and other like materials.The Y having at least one unsaturated bond may significantly decreasethe formation of the byproducts, halogenated arylsulfur pentafluorides[see impurity (1a) of Example 26 in Table 6].

The amount of a non-fluoride salt, M⁺Y⁻, used for the reaction istypically selected in the range of about 0.1 to about 5 mol, moretypically about 0.2 to about 3 mol, and furthermore typically about 0.5to about 2 mol against 1 mol of an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride. Whenthe non-fluoride salt is less than 0.1 mol, the effect of the fluoridesalt is too low, and when it is more than 5 mol, the effect is limited.

As a hydrogen halide, such as hydrogen chloride (HCl), is more acidicthan HY, hydrogen chloride can react with the non-fluoride salt having aformula, M⁺Y⁻, according to the following reaction below, to form M⁺Cl⁻,which is a neutral salt.M⁺Y⁻+HCl

M⁺Cl⁻+HYThus, the non-fluoride salt can neutralize gaseous and very acidichydrogen halide, forming a neutral salt such as M⁺X⁻.

From the viewpoint of cost and yields, Process III embodiments aretypically carried out without any additional solvents. However, wherethere is little or no solubility of arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/orits product, arylsulfur pentafluoride, in hydrogen fluoride, a solventwhich dissolves the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/or its product maybe added to increase the reaction rate and yield. Where appropriate,suitable solvents for Process III are the same as for Process I asmentioned above.

The reaction temperature and time for Process III are the same as forProcess I, as mentioned above.

Embodiments of the invention also include a method which comprisesreacting an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride having a formula (II), withhydrogen fluoride in the presence of an organic compound having one ormore unsaturated bonds in a molecule to form the arylsulfurpentafluoride having a formula (I) (see Scheme 4, Process IV).

Hydrogen fluoride and its amount used for Process IV is the same as forProcess II as mentioned above.

For compounds represented by formulas (I) and (II), R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵,and X represent the same meaning as defined above.

Arylsulfur halotetrafluorides (Formula II) usable for Process IV are thesame as described in Process I.

With regard to an organic compounds having one or more unsaturated bondsin a molecule, the organic compound is typically selected from a groupconsisting of arenes, alkenes, and alkynes. These organic compounds areexemplified, but not limited to, arenes such as benzene, toluene,xylene, durene, fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, phenol,anisole, cresole, naphthalene, anthracene, and other like materials;alkenes such as ethylene, vinyl chloride, vinyl bromide, vinylidenechloride, 1,2-dichloroethylene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene,propene, butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene, and other likematerials; alkynes such as acetylene, propyne, and other like materials.Among these compounds, arenes are typical due to availability and yieldof products.

When halogenated arylsulfur pentafluorides are formed as byproducts inthe reactions of arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and hydrogen fluoride, theProcess IV using organic compounds having one or more unsaturated bondsin a molecule are preferable because the process significantly decreasesthe formation of the byproducts (halogenated arylsulfur pentafluorides)[see impurity (1a) of Examples 21˜25 in Table 6].

The amount of an organic compound used for the reaction is preferablyselected in the range of about 0.01 mol to a large excess, against 1 molof an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride. This may include the case where anorganic compound is used as a solvent or as one of solvents for thereaction, if the organic compounds do not effect the desired reactionsand are easily removed from the reaction mixture after the reaction, forexample, because of low boiling point. The amount is more preferable inthe range of about 0.05 mol to about 5 mol, furthermore preferably about0.05 mol to about 1 mol against 1 mol of an arylsulfurhalotetrafluoride. When it is less than 0.01 mol, the effect of theadditive is too small.

From the viewpoint of cost and yields of the reactions, Process IV ispreferably carried out without any other solvents. However, in the caseof little or no solubility of the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/orits product, arylsulfur pentafluoride, in hydrogen fluoride, a solventwhich dissolves the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/or its product maybe added to increase the reaction rate and yield. Suitable solvents forProcess IV are the same as for Process I mentioned above.

The reaction temperature and time for Process IV are the same as forProcess I mentioned above.

Embodiments of the invention also include a method which comprisesreacting an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride having a formula (II), withhydrogen fluoride in the presence of additives to form the arylsulfurpentafluoride, having a formula (I) [see Process V (Scheme 5)], in whichat least two additives are selected from a group consisting of fluoridesalts having a formula, M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n), non-fluoride salts having aformula, M⁺Y⁻ [Y⁻ excludes F⁻(HF)_(n)], and organic compounds having oneor more unsaturated bonds in a molecule.

Hydrogen fluoride, and its amount used, for Process V is the same as forProcess II, mentioned above.

For compounds of formulas (I) and (II), R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵, and Xrepresent the same meaning as defined above.

Arylsulfur halotetrafluorides (Formula II) usable for Process V are thesame as described in Process I.

The fluoride salts, M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n), the non-fluoride salts, M⁺Y⁻ [Y⁻excludes F⁻(HF)_(n)], and the organic compound having one or moreunsaturated bonds in a molecule, are the same meaning as defined above.

The total amount of the additives for Process V can be selected in therange of about 0.05 mol to a large excess, more preferably about 0.1 molto about 5 mol, and furthermore preferably about 0.5 to about 3 molagainst 1 mol of an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride. The ratio between oramong the additives may be chosen in order to get a better yield of theproduct. When the total amount of additives is less than 0.05 mol, theeffect of the additive is too small.

From the viewpoint of cost and yields of the reactions, Process V ispreferably carried out without any other solvents. However, in the caseof little or no solubility of the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/orits product, arylsulfur pentafluoride, in hydrogen fluoride, a solventwhich dissolves the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride and/or its product maybe added to increase the reaction rate and yield. Suitable solvents forProcess V are the same as for Process I mentioned above.

The reaction temperature and time for Process V are the same as forProcess I mentioned above.

According to the present invention, the highly pure arylsulfurpentafluorides having the formula (I) can be cost-effectively producedin commercial production. The advancement is unexpected in light ofconventional production methods both in light of costs and yield. Itrepresents a significant hurdle to overcome the industrial aspects ofthe present invention as other conventional methods require high costperformance due to no fluidity of solid fluoride sources, hard controlon the exothermic solid-liquid phase reactions at elevated temperature,fine purification processes necessary for products of less purity, andunsatisfactory safety and environment sustainability.

The following examples will illustrate the present invention in moredetail, but it should be understood that the present invention is notdeemed to be limited thereto.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Synthesis of Phenylsulfur Pentafluoride by Reactionof Phenylsulfur Chlorotetrafluoride with Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride

While N₂ gas was flowed through a 250 mL fluoropolymer (FEP) vessel setwith a condenser (made of fluoropolymer), the vessel was cooled in abath of −11° C. A coolant (−25° C.) was flowed through the condenser.The vessel cooled at −11° C. was charged with 72.3 g (3.62 mol) ofanhydrous hydrogen fluoride which was cooled at −20° C. Into the vessel,35.0 g (0.152 mol) of phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride (this purity was96 wt % and the other 4 wt % was phenylsulfur trifluoride) was addedover 90 min through a syringe using a syringe pump. The molar ratio ofphenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride and hydrogen fluoride was 1/24. Afterthe addition, the reaction mixture was stirred at −10° C. for 20 hours.After that, the reaction mixture was warmed to 25° C. and hydrogenfluoride was removed at the temperature under atmospheric pressure. Theresidue was mixed with 100 mL of 10% aqueous KOH and extracted withdichloromethane. The organic layer was separated, dried over anhydrousmagnesium sulfate, and filtered. The filtrate was concentrated bydistilling the solvent at 70° C. under atmospheric pressure. Theresulting residue was distilled under reduced pressure (bath temperatureabout 110° C. and 32 mmHg) to give 20.6 g (yield 66%) of phenylsulfurpentafluoride. The purity of the product was determined to be 99.7% byGC analysis. The product was identified by spectral comparison with anauthentic sample.

Examples 2˜11 Synthesis of Arylsulfur Pentafluorides (I) by Reaction ofArylsulfur Halotetrafluorides (II) with Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride

Various arylsulfur pentafluorides (I) were synthesized by reaction ofthe corresponding arylsulfur halotetrafluorides (II) with anhydroushydrogen fluoride. Table 1 shows the results, the starting materials andanhydrous hydrogen fluoride used for the reactions, and reactionconditions, together with those of Example 1. The procedure wasconducted in a similar way as in Example 1, except for Example 7, inwhich 15.0 g (46.1 mmol) of compound (II) was placed in the vessel andthen mixed with liquid anhydrous hydrogen fluoride cooled at −20° C.,because the compound (II) was solid. In Example 11, a mixture of 33.6 g(93.1 mmol) of compound (II) and 3.0 g of dry acetonitrile was addedinto the reaction vessel through a syringe. The products were identifiedby spectral comparison with authentic samples except for Example 11, inwhich, product, 4-bromo-3-fluorophenylsulfur pentafluoride, wasidentified by spectral analysis. Physical and spectral data of4-bromo-3-fluorophenylsulfur pentafluoride are as follows; by 74-79°C./6 mmHg; ¹H NMR (CDCl₃) δ 7.45 (dd, J=9.0 Hz, 1.7 Hz, 1H), 7.54 (dd,J=8.6 Hz, 2.4 Hz, 1H), 7.67 (t, J=7.9 Hz, 1H); ¹⁹F NMR (CDCl₃) δ 63.03(d, J=154 Hz, 4F), 82.07 (quintet, J=154 Hz, 1F), −102.98 (s, 1F); ¹³CNMR (CD₃CN) δ 113.2 (d, J=21 Hz), 114.9 (doublet-quintet, J=27 Hz, 5Hz), 123.1 (m), 134.0 (s), 152.9 (doublet-quintet, J=7 Hz, 20 Hz), 158.2(d, J=250 Hz); GC-Mass 302 (M⁺), 300 (M⁺).

TABLE 1 Synthesis of arylsulfur pentafluorides (I) by reaction ofarylsulfur halotetrafluorides (II) with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride Molratio Conditions Ex. (II) HF (II): HF Temp Time (I) Yield Purity 1

72.3 g (3.62 mol) 1:24 10° C. 20 h

20.6 g (66%) 99.7% 2

82.6 g (4.13 mol) 1:47  8° C. 17 h

10.9 g (61%) 99.9% 3

50.2 g (2.51 mol) 1:29 15° C. 20 h

11.0 g (62%) 99.9% 4

64.5 g (3.23 mol) 1:22 15° C. 20 h

24.6 g (71%) 99.2% 5

51.3 g (2.57 mol) 1:28 15° C. 21 h

13.5 g (67%) 99.8% 6

 135 g (6.75 mol) 1:23 19° C. 22 h

49.4 g (76%) 99.0% 7

33.3 g (1.67 mol) 1:36 15° C. 22 h

 9.5 g (73%) 99.5% 8

 158 g (7.90 mol) 1:32 20° C. 2 days

54.2 g (77%) 99.9% 9

60.3 g (3.02 mol) 1:21 −15° C. 20 h

22.2 g (71%) 95.8% 10

63.6 g (3.18 mol) 1:22 15° C. 19 h

23.0 g (73%) 90.9% 11

66.7 g (3.34 mol) 1:36 5° C. → 19° C. 19° C. 1.5 h  20.5 h  

18.2 g (65%) 97.8%

Example 12 Synthesis of Phenylsulfur Pentafluoride by Reaction ofPhenylsulfur Chlorotetrafluoride with Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride in thePresence of K⁺F⁻.HF Added as an Additive

A dried 125 mL fluoropolymer (FEP) vessel was flowed with N₂ gas andcharged with 48.0 g (2.40 mmol) of liquid anhydrous hydrogen fluoridewhich was cooled at −20° C. The vessel was set with a condenser (made offluoropolymer) and a thermometer, and cooled in a bath of −20° C. Acoolant (−15° C.) was flowed through the condenser. Into the vessel, 8.6g (0.11 mol) of KF.HF was added. While the mixture was warmed to +15°C., 22.1 g (96.2 mmol) (purity 96 wt % and the other was phenylsulfurtrifluoride) of phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride was added to themixture over 1 hour through a syringe. The temperature of the reactionmixture was 3.4° C. and 13.6° C. at the starting point and completingpoint of the addition, respectively. After the addition, the reactionmixture was stirred at 15° C. for 18 h. After that, the reaction mixturewas warmed to 25° C. and hydrogen fluoride was removed under atmosphericpressure. The residue was neutralized with about 15% aqueous KOH andextracted with dichloromethane. The organic layer was separated, driedover anhydrous magnesium sulfate, and filtered. The filtrate wasconcentrated by distilling the solvent at 70° C. under atmosphericpressure. The resulting residue was distilled under reduced pressure togive 14.4 g (yield 73%) of phenylsulfur pentafluoride (boiling point57.5° C./35 mmHg). The purity of the product was determined to be 100%by GC analysis. The product was identified by spectral comparison withan authentic reference sample.

Examples 13˜19 Synthesis of Arylsulfur Pentafluorides (I) by Reaction ofArylsulfur Halotetrafluorides (II) with Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride inthe Presence of a Fluoride Salt, M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n), Added as an Additive

Various arylsulfur pentafluorides (I) were synthesized by reaction ofthe corresponding arylsulfur halotetrafluorides (II) with anhydroushydrogen fluoride in the presence of a fluoride salt of formula,M⁺F⁻(HF)_(n), added as an additive. The procedure was conducted in asimilar way as in Example 12. Table 2 shows the results, the startingmaterials, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, and fluoride salts used for thereactions, and reaction conditions together with those of Example 12.

TABLE 2 Synthesis of arylsulfur pentafluorides (I) by reaction ofarylsulfur halotetrafluorides (II) with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride inthe presence of a fluoride salt added as an additive Mol. Mol. Fluor-ratio ratio ide (II): Con- (II): salt Fluoride di- Ex. (II) HF HF addedsalt tions (I) Yield Purity 12

48.0 g (2.40 mol) 1:25 KF•HF  8.6 g (110 mmol) 1:1.1 15° C., 18 h

14.4 g (73%)  100% 13

59.3 g (2.97 mol) 1:22 KF•HF 12.9 g (165 mmol) 1:1.2 15° C., 2 days

20.1 g (67%) 99.8% 14

 217 g (10.9 mol) 1:36 KF•HF 23.4 g (300 mmol) 1:1   −20 -> 10° C., 2 h10° C., 15 h 15° C., 6 h 

40.6 g (61%)  100% 15

40.1 g (2.0 mol)  1:22 KF•HF  8.6 g (110 mmol) 1:1.2 15° C. 20 h 

15.4 g (79%) 97.2% 16

70.6 g (3.53 mol) 1:28 LiF  4.1 g (152 mmol) 1:1.2 −15° C., 16 h  

17.4 g (62%) 96.3% 17

58.8 g (2.94 mol) 1:20 NaF•HF 10.9 g (176 mmol) 1:1.2 15° C., 18 h

22.2 g (71%) 97.0% 18

47.0 g (2.35 mol) 1:16 KF•HF 21.8 g (279 mmol) 1:1.9 15° C., 19 h

17.4 g (55%) 97.2% 19

71.3 g (3.57 mol) 1:81 KF•HF  3.9 g (50 mmol)  1:1.1 −5 -> 15° C., 2.5 h  15° C., 16.5 h

 5.2 g (49%) 96.6%

The products were identified by spectral comparison with referencesamples, except for Example 19, in which, the product,3,4-difluorophenylsulfur pentafluoride, was identified by spectralanalysis. Physical and spectral data of 3,4-difluorophenylsulfurpentafluoride are as follows: by 75-76° C./25 mmHg; ¹H NMR (CDCl₃) δ7.27 (m, 1H), 7.53-7.58 (m, 1H), 7.62-7.66 (m, 1H); ¹⁹F NMR (CDCl₃) δ−133.75 (d, J=26 Hz, 1F), −130.93 (d, J=26 Hz, 1F), 63.60 (d, J=147 Hz,4F), 82.56 (quintet, J=147 Hz, 1F); ¹³C NMR (CDCl₃) δ 116.6 (dt, J=22Hz, 4 Hz), 117.4 (d, J=19 Hz), 123.0 (m), 49.2 (quintet, J=20 Hz), 149.3(dd, J=254 Hz, 13 Hz), 152.0 (dd, J=257 Hz, 12 Hz); GC-Mass 240 (M⁺).

As mentioned above, the fluoride salt can neutralize hydrogen chloridewhich is formed from the reaction. Furthermore, for examples, as seenfrom the comparison between Examples 3 and 12 and between Examples 10and 15 at the same reaction temperature, the addition of a fluoride saltcan make the yield and purity of the products higher than without theadditive because the additive can make the reactions mild and surpressthe formation of tar.

Example 20 Synthesis of Arylsulfur Pentafluoride (I) by Reaction ofArylsulfur Halotetrafluoride (II) with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride inthe presence of a non-fluoride salt

Liquid anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (61 g, 3.05 mol) was put in a dried125 mL fluoropolymer vessel in the same way as in Example 12. The vesselwas then set with a condenser (made of fluoropolymer) and a thermometer,and cooled in a bath of −20° C. Sodium acetate (9.0 g, 0.11 mol) wasadded portion by portion into a stirred liquid of hydrogen fluoride inthe vessel. The mixture was homogenious. A coolant (−15° C.) was flowedthrough the condenser and the bath temperature was raised to −10° C.Phenylsulfur chlorotetrafluoride (23.4 g, purity 95 wt %, 0.101 mol) wasadded to the mixture over 30 min through a syringe using a syringe pump.The temperature of the reaction mixture was −8° C. and −6° C. at thestarting point and completing point of the addition, respectively. Thebath temperature was then raised to +5° C. and the reaction mixture wasstirred for 70 min at +5° C. The bath temperature was then raised to+10° C. and the reaction mixture was stirred for 50 min. The bathtemperature was then raised to +15° C. and the reaction mixture wasstirred for 20 h at +15° C. After the reaction, the bath temperature waswarmed to room temperature and hydrogen fluoride was removed byevaporation at room temperature. The residue was slowly poured into 400g of 23% aqueous KOH solution, and the mixture was stirred for 30 min.The lower organic layer was separated and the upper aqueous layer wasextracted with dichloromethane. The combined organic layer was washedwith saturated aqueous NaCl solution, dried over anhydrous magnesiumsulfate, and filtered. The filtrate was concentrated by distilling thesolvent on an oil bath of 70° C. at atmospheric pressure. The resultingresidue was distilled by heating in an oil bath of 180° C. and more atatmospheric pressure, giving 11.5 g of phenylsulfur pentafluoride whichwas a fraction of 145-150° C. The purity of the product was determinedto be 99.6% by GC analysis. The product was identified by spectralcomparison with a reference sample. Table 3 summarizes the reactionconditions and results.

TABLE 3 Synthesis of arylsulfur pentafluorides (I) by reaction ofarylsulfur halotetrafluorides (II) with hydrogen fluoride in thepresence of a non-fluoride salt Mol ratio Non-fluoride Mol. ratio Ex.(II) HF (II): HF salt (II): non-fluoride salt Conditions (I) YieldPurity 20

61 g (3.06 mol) 1:30 NaOCOCH₃ 9.0 g (110 mmol) 1:1.1  5° C. -> 10° C., 2h 15° C., 20 h

11.5 g (56%) 99.6%

Example 21 Synthesis of Arylsulfur Pentafluoride (I) by Reaction ofArylsulfur Halotetrafluoride (II) with Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride inthe Presence of an Organic Compound

Example 21 was conducted in a similar way as in Example 12 except thatan organic compound was added in place of a fluoride salt. Table 4 showsthe starting material, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, and an aromaticcompound as an additive used for the reaction, reaction conditions, andresults. The product was identified by comparison with a referencesample.

TABLE 4 Synthesis of arylsulfur pentafluorides (I) by reaction ofarylsulfur halotetrafluorides (II) with hydrogen fluoride in thepresence of an organic compound Mol. ratio Mol ratio Organic (II):organic Ex. (II) HF (II): HF compound compound Conditions (I) YieldPurity 21

48.6 g (2.4 mol) 1:30 Benzene 2.7 mL (30 mmol) 1:0.37 15° C. 79 h

10.1 g (57%) 90%

A byproduct, 3-chloro-4-methylphenylsulfur pentafluoride (1a), formed inExample 21 is shown in Table 6. As a comparison (at the same reactiontemperature), Example 10 without any additive is also shown in Table 6.The byproduct (1a) was 1.0% in Example 21, while byproduct (1a) was 8.1%in Example 10. This clearly indicates that an organic compound (benzene)as an additive greatly prevents the formation of byproduct (1a) bywashing out the side reactions (chlorination of the product). Thisprovides a surprising advantage over other conventional synthesisreactions.

Examples 22˜26 Synthesis of Arylsulfur Pentafluorides (I) by Reaction ofArylsulfur Halotetrafluorides (II) with Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride inthe Presence of Two or More Additives Selected from a Group Consistingof Fluoride Salts, Non-Fluoride Salts, and Organic Compounds

Various arylsulfur pentafluorides (I) were synthesized by reaction ofthe corresponding arylsulfur halotetrafluorides (II) with anhydroushydrogen fluoride in the presence of two or more additives, which areselected from a group consisting of fluoride salts, non-fluoride salts,and organic compounds having one or more unsaturated bonds in amolecule. The reaction was conducted in a similar way as in Example 12except that two or more additives were added in place of a fluoridesalt. Examples 22˜25 were performed with a fluoride salt and an organiccompound as additives, and Example 26 was performed with a fluoride saltand a non-fluoride salt as additives. The product was identified bycomparison with a reference sample.

Table 5 shows the results, the starting material, anhydrous hydrogenfluoride, and additives used for the reactions, and reaction conditions.According to this method using two or more additives, products of highpurity were obtained in better relative yields. At the same reactiontemperature (+15° C.), the purities of the products of Examples 22˜26(96˜99%) are much higher than those of Example 10 (90.9%) without anyadditive and Example 21 (90%) with one additive (benzene).

TABLE 5 Synthesis of arylsulfur pentafluorides (I) by reaction ofarylsulfur halotetrafluorides (II) with hydrogen fluoride in thepresence of at least two additives selected from a group consisting offluoride salts, non-fluoride salts, and organic compounds Mol. Mol. Con-rtio Additives ratio di- Ex. (II) HF (II): HF (A) (B) (II): (A): (B)tions (I) Yield Purity 22

46.2 g (2.31 mol) 1:26 KF•HF 8.6 g (0.11 mol) Benzene 0.9 mL (10 mmol)1:1.2:0.11 15° C. 15 h

15.1 g (77%) 96% 23

38.6 g (1.9 mol)  1:22 KF•HF 8.6 g (0.11 mol) Benzene 1.8 mL (20 mmol)1:1.3:0.23 15° C. 21 h

13.1 g (70%) 98.1%   24

45.8 g (2.3 mol)  1:24 KF•HF 8.6 g (0.11 mol) Benzene 2.2 mL (25 mmol)1:1.2:0.27 15° C. 19 h

13.3 g (65%) 98% 25

43.1 g (2.15 mol) 1:23 KF•HF 8.6 g (0.11 mol) Benzene 2.7 mL (30 mmol)1:1.2:0.33 15° C. 17 h

11.3 g (56%) 99% 26

56.9 g (2.85 mol) 1:36 KF•HF 6.4 g (82 mmol)

  6.0 g (29 mmol) 1:1.0:0.37 15° C. 17 h

12.6 g (73%) 97.5%  

For a more detailed discussion, Table 6 shows the contents of impurity(Ia) and other byproducts (IIIa˜c) contained in the products obtained inExamples 10, 15, and 21˜26. The formation of impurity (1a) decisivelyhurts the yields and purity of products (I). Other byproduts (IIIa˜c) donot hurt the reaction because they depend on the additives and hencesuitable reaction conditions or suitable additives can be selected forthe reaction. Example 10 was conducted without any additives, Example 15was conducted with KF.HF as one additive, Example 21 was conducted withbenzene as one additive, Examples 22˜25 were conducted with KF.HF andbenzene as two additives, and Example 26 was conducted with KF.HF andpotassium p-methylbenzenesulfonate as two additives. The amount ofimpurity (1a) was 8.1% in Example 10, 1.9% in Example 15, 1.0% inExample 21, and 0.2% in Examples 22, no formation in Examples 23˜25, and0.7% in Example 26. It is clear that KF.HF or benzene as one additivesignificantly prevents the formation of the impurity (1a), and that theuse of both KF.HF and benzene or potassium p-methylbenzenesulfonate astwo additives almost or completely eliminate the formation of theimpurity (1a). Thus, the impurity is significantly decreased orcompletely not formed by these additives. Again, this shows the utilityof the present invention.

TABLE 6 Contents of impurity (Ia) and other byproducts (IIIa~c)contained in the products obtained in Examples 10, 15, and 21-26Inpurity¹⁾ Other byproducts¹⁾ Ex. Mol. ratio (II): (A): (B) (A) = KFHF(B) = benzene or p-Me—PhSO₃K Product (I)

10 (II) alone

8.1% no no no 15 (II):(A) 1:1.2

1.9% no no no 21 (II):(B) 1:0.37

1.0% n.d. 6.2% 3.1% 22 (II):(A):(B) 1:1.2:0.11

0.2% 0.4% 1.8% 1.8% 23 (II):(A):(B) 1:1.3:0.23

n.d. 0.7% 0.4% 0.2% 24 (II):(A):(B) 1:1.2:0.27

n.d. 1.1% 0.7% 0.3% 25 (II):(A):(B) 1:1.2:0.33

n.d. 0.4% 0.3% 0.2% 26 (II):(A):(B) 1:1.0:0.37

0.7% no no no ¹⁾Contents were determined by GC analysis. no = noformation. n.d. = not detected.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to a number of embodiments, it would be understood by thoseskilled in the art that changes in the form and details may be made tothe various embodiments disclosed herein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention and that the various embodimentsdisclosed herein are not intended to act as limitations on the scope ofthe claims. All publications cited herein are hereby incorporated byreference.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for preparing an arylsulfurpentafluoride having a formula (I) as follows:

the process comprising: reacting an arylsulfur halotetrafluoride havinga formula (II):

with hydrogen fluoride in the presence of additives to form thearylsulfur pentafluoride, in which at least two additives are selectedfrom a group consisting of fluoride salts of formula, M⁺⁻F(HF)_(n),non-fluoride salts of formula, M⁺Y⁻, and organic compounds that have oneor more unsaturated bonds in a molecule; in which: R¹, R², R³, R⁴, andR⁵ each is independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substitutedor unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a substitutedor unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, a nitro group,a cyano group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkanesulfonyl grouphaving 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstitutedarenesulfonyl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted orunsubstituted alkoxy group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a substituted orunsubstituted aryloxy group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, a substitutedor unsubstituted acyloxy group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, asubstituted or unsubstituted alkanesulfonyloxy group having from 1 to 18carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted arenesulfonyloxy grouphaving from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstitutedalkoxycarbonyl group having 2 to 18 carbon atoms, a substituted orunsubstituted aryloxycarbonyl group having 7 to 30 carbon atoms, asubstituted carbamoyl group having 2 to 18 carbon atoms, a substitutedamino group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, or a SF₅ group; X is a chlorineatom, bromine atom, or iodine atom; M is a metal atom, an ammoniummoiety, or a phosphonium moiety; n is 0 or a mixed number greater than0; and Y is an anion moiety whose conjugated acid, HY, is less than HXin acidity, and Y is not F(HF)_(n).
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein themol ratio of the arylsulfur halotetrafluoride to the total amount of theadditives is in a range of about 1:0.1 to about 1:5.